This invention relates to the field of lighting fixtures. More particularly, the instant invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacture and servicing of a lighting fixture installed in non-accessible areas, such as closed-in ceilings or walls.
Recessed adjustable lighting fixtures are installed in a variety of locations and provide a uniquely customized approach to illumination. However, the physical construction of such fixtures is often at odds with the installation environment, such that recessed lighting fixtures must be installed in areas which are only accessible through the front face of the fixture. For example, recessed fixtures are often installed in houses with high ceilings, such that the face of the fixture is only inches away from the base of the roof. Thus, installation height restrictions may limit the choice of fixtures to a great extent.
Moreover, it is sometimes necessary to install recessed lighting fixtures in walls, floors, or other locations where closed-installation access will also be limited to that which can be obtained from the front face of the fixture. Additional limitations include those imposed by the National Electric Code, which require direct access to various parts of the fixture, including the transformer or ballast, when no access is available from the top-side of the fixture. In fact, the Code specifies access aperture size in relation to the transformer location, which severely limits access to the transformer in most situations.
A further complication with such fixtures involves the requirement for extra conduit length needed for service. There is no mechanism which forces the fixture installer to set aside sufficient conduit length for service through the front of the fixture face. Remote transformer or ballast mounting may also be required, which further complicates service of the fixture when no other access can be obtained.
Finally, lighting designers prefer fixtures which can be mounted with millwork or plaster stops for a zero sight line, or at least so that the trim sits flush on the fixture mounting surface. The mounted fixture should also exhibit freedom from light spill or leakage from the periphery of the fixture, even when the installation surface is non-planar, and permit rotation and tilting of the lamp housing without trim disassembly, so that the installer or designer can precisely control the amount and direction of illumination.
The contemporary solution to these problems involves complicated rolling-chassis assemblies or very large fixture housings which provides sufficient room for servicing the fixture and its components from the face-side. Light leaks are stopped with silicone gaskets, causing protrusion of the trim away from the installation surface. However, as consumer tastes run to ever-smaller fixtures and zero sight line installations, these solutions are not acceptable. Also, the larger fixture size is often in compatible with the desired location of the fixture.
Therefore, what is needed, is a fixture whose component elements, such as a transformer or ballast, thermal sensor, splice connections, and/or trim, are accessible from the fixture front face, even when the access aperture is relatively small, providing easy service access. It is also important that any such fixture provide the ability for precise positional adjustment after installation, with some mechanism for integrating the trim as a housing constituent to block unwanted light leaks after the fixture i s installed, even in non-planar surfaces.
A simplified method of servicing a fixture in an inaccessible ceiling is al so needed. Such a met hod should provide access to fixture components from the front face, facilitating extraction of the components for repair or replacement.
One embodiment of the present invention comprises a lighting fixture including a fixture housing with an access aperture, a transformer housing, and a locking means to engage the transformer housing with the aperture. The fixture also includes a light-blocking trim engagement means for rotatable engagement of a trim ring with the fixture.
The fixture housing typically includes a neck aperture through which a transformer, wiring, and other elements of the fixture can be inserted and retrieved for repair or replacement. Typically, the transformer housing is pivotally engaged with the fixture housing by means of the access aperture, and locked into place using a pair of locking ears (tabs, levers, cams, etc. can also be used). The transformer housing may contain access ports for ventilation and wiring access. Alignment marks may be placed upon the fixture housing and the transformer housing for easy assembly after repairs or installation.
The method of the present invention for servicing an inaccessible lighting fixture comprises the steps of removing the trim assembly, disengaging the locking means (e.g. ears) from the transformer housing, rotating the housing away from the access aperture, disengaging the housing from the fixture housing, pulling the transformer housing through the access aperture, and extracting the transformer housing from the fixture housing by pulling the transformer housing through the neck aperture. A transformer may be attached directly to the transformer housing, and additional service steps may include disconnecting wiring (which includes flexible conduit, non-metallic sheathed cable, stranded and solid wire, and the like) from the transformer and drawing the wiring through the access ports in the transformer housing.